I'm ready for a change. I'm ready to be impressed. If you know me, I'm all about Microsoft. I dig them, their tech, especially their people. While I've worked in Java on Solaris talking to Mainframes, I really cut my teeth on writing thunking code during the 16-bit/32-bit transition. I know I'm not an "old timer." I've never seen a punch card. (Although I've read Cryptonomicon. ;) ) I'm Generation X or Y, not Generation U or V.

I remember Shift-F7 would print in Wordperfect, I'm not sure why I haven't overwritten that mental cluster with more useful information. Certainly I've at least marked the braincell for deletion with the first character as E5h or something. Now I have a GUI, which brings me the the point of this rant. I certainly haven't seen it all, but darnit I've seen some of it.

I admit it, while I'm privvy to many a Microsoft Pre-Alpha, I have not seen anything of Lornhorn's "real" UI, nor what I'm really interested in - Avalon.

I'm coming to PDC thoroughly hoping and expecting to be impressed with the promise of the future. Am I impatiently expecting a revolution in UI, while Avalon may be a just stepping stone on the way to...?

About Scott

Scott Hanselman is a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee. He is a failed stand-up comic, a cornrower, and a book author.